Truth and Love
by KingsNeverDie100
Summary: "Don't you think I'm a monster?" Her red eyes were teary. "Yes," he said and stroked her blue cheek, "but so am I, and we shall rule this world of monsters together, my love." Starts pre-movie, then moves on to AU mid-movie, Loki/OC
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

During the great war with Jotunheim, there were not only male warriors fighting against them, as many will have you believe, but female as well. Some women had been trained since birth to fight for the glory of Asgard, and could not imagine a life outside of its army. Some were more reluctant to join, but did so anyway. One of these reluctant women was Lady Serah. She had not had as much training as some of the others, but none the less she went along. She would not leave her husband to battle the Jotuns alone, and together they marched towards what could be their doom. Fortunately-or unfortunately- they both kept their lives, but it came at a price. In the heat of battle the spouses were separated. And Serah was chased by a Frost Giant deep into a cave far away from the battlefield. There they fought for a long time, but she was getting weary while he was still standing strong. In a short moment she had lost both her sword and her balance. As she lay at his feet he took advantage of her. Her screams and cries for help did not reach the surface. When he was done, he left her there to join his brethren on the outside. Gathering her strength she left as well, not long after that. From what he had done she had gotten frost bite on her thighs and nether regions, but she tried to ignore the pain, as all she could think about was finding her husband. When she did, she told him what had happened. He did not blame her, and stood by her side as a loving partner should during hard times. They had no choice but to keep the child that they discovered was growing inside her, for if they tried to remove it, it could mean dire consequences for the mother. After all, Jotuns were not built the same why as Asgardians were. But that did not mean they had to love it as their own child.

Soon it was time for the birth. Once again Serah suffered from horrible frost bites that meant she could never have another child, and that did not help improving her mood. It was a girl. Once she was born, the man and woman looked down into her crib with disgust. Before them laid a blue creature with red eyes and tribal marks covering her skin. This was not their child. This was merely something they were stuck with.

The little baby was crying, but Serah had not touched her daughter since she came out of her body, and nor did she intend to. A wet-nurse was hired to feed her, and they made sure she was located in the far end of the mansion so they would have to see and hear her as little as possible.

At first they thought about simply killing her and claim she had been stillborn, but that would be a great disgrace for the Lord and Ladyship. The solution they came up with was simple: whenever they had company or someone asked about their daughter they would state that she was terribly ill. They would say she had been born with a condition and was in no state to see anybody. This was a sufficient enough lie. The girl was alive but no-one would have to see her.

They had a wizard put a spell on her, to make her skin pink, so they didn't have to be reminded of that horrible day every time they looked upon her. The wizard was then bribed not to say a word to anyone of what had transpired.

Growing up she was taught not to go into certain parts of the house, and not to talk to people whom she didn't already know, and those weren't many. Her wet-nurse was let go as soon as she didn't need her anymore. The other servants were ordered not to speak to her more than absolutely necessary. She learned how to talk form observing and listening to the people around her. Reading and writing she had to teach herself. She didn't mind though.

Books became her salvation. Most days she was confined to her room, but the books she'd managed to get a hold of kept her company. The characters became her friends and her mentors. They taught her about the world and all the things she missed by being locked up in this miserable house.

They made her want to experience all that was out there. So she did. On a quiet night, when she finally was tall enough to reach up, she snuck out though her window and climbed down the vine on the wall outside. It was hard work but it was worth it. When she was down on the ground, she looked around in awe. In front of her was a whole new world waiting to be discovered.

She started with exploring the large garden. That alone took her two nights. Later she ventured outside of her parents property. She went into the forest, and to the plains, and she went a short distance up a nearby mountain. She even walked through the streets of a village not far from her home. She found her new favorite spot. It was a small hill surrounded by tall trees, about ten minutes from her house. There she would lay at night and gaze at the stars, wondering if this was all life had to offer her.

How wrong she had been.

One day she was in the library of the house when she came across a section she had never been in before. It was a small room in the back and the heavy door was sealed, but the lock was very old and easy to force open. The room, she discovered, was filled with books on magic. All sorts of it: dark and light, spells and potions, forbidden and forgotten. She figured it was locked for a reason, so she took as many as she could carry and returned to her room.

During the next few days she barely ate or slept, not that anyone checked up on her. For this she was grateful. The time she spent with those books was more educational than anything she had studied before. She learned so much in such a short time. If she thought going outside had given her new possibilities, this made her ten times as excited. She quickly learned to master the art of magic, and found it most useful in many situations.

However, with her newfound powers, it didn't take long before she discovered the truth about herself.

In the secluded area with the magic books there were also books on different species across the realms- most importantly on Frost Giants. As she read up on their anatomy she found that she had several similarities with this frozen race. Their skin was always cold and they were weakened by the rays of the sun. This she could strongly relate to. Also, as it turned out, Jotun females did not have monthly bleedings. She was well into her teens and had not experienced it yet. Instead, they bled in that way only once a year, and this gave the result that their chance of becoming with child was lessened. And somehow, she had better eyesight during the night than the day. Apparently the largest male could become up to 12 feet tall. Even though she was quiet tall for a girl of her age, she had not yet reached that height, but she was eagerly awaiting the day she would see if it was possible for her to be of that remarkable size.

When she cornered a maid that had been with her parents since long before she was born about her suspicions, all she received in answer was a few mumbling word before she excused herself. So she decided to use more drastic methods.

She sneaked out during the night as usual, but this time she had a goal. She collected the correct ingredients she needed, and returned to make her potion. When she mixed this into that stupid maids drink it would make her talk. And talk she did.

Thanks to the maid, who would not remember anything in the morning, she now knew of her true heritage. She knew it was not her fault her parents hated her. She wondered of her real father. After what he had done to her mother, he did not seem like a very nice person. But after what she had experienced so far in life she doubted anything could be much worse. She could not quiet be sympathetic for her parents. How could you be towards people who had kept her locked for so many years and done nothing but ignore you?

But she felt something else as well. Putting a spell on the maid and seeing the fear in her eyes had done something to this once sweet little girl. That was the first time she knew what power truly felt like. And she wanted more. Her outer shell remained, but she would quietly, almost secretly, start to terrorize the servants. It started small, giving out simple orders, but soon her demands grew. She would claim that she was technically the young mistress of the house and that they would do well to obey her, lest they wanted to take the punishment should they refuse.

Scaring the staff was all in good fun and she enjoyed how they cowered for her when she came too close, but she still dreamed of freedom. Almost every night she would leave her room and venture to the outside world. She often went to her hill to look at the stars up above. They were so bright, but unlike the sun, it did not hurt her eyes when exposed to their light. She liked to fantasize that she would one day run away from all this misery. But she knew she could never do it. At least not all alone. She had been alone all her life, and for taking such a big step she would like to have someone with her.

Come to think of it she had never been touched. Of course she had been beaten when she was a naughty little girl who would not follow the rules, and she had slapped back once she had the strength and the confidence, but she had never felt a gentle touch on her skin. She had never held someone's hand or been given a hug. Not even from her parents. She she had never even spoken a word to either of them. But she didn't need to. She had her power and that was all she required, or at least that's what she told herself.

Soon that would all change.

When she had reached her teenage years she met a boy. Some would say he was a strange boy who they would rather keep away from. But it was their loss and her gain. She would make her first friend, and possibly even open her heart in a way she had never imagined she was able to. That special boy would be her future and would lead her to her destiny.


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Lord Thadicus and his wife Lady Serah had been great friends with both the king and queen since the war with Jotunheim. During that time they had both shown their loyalty to Asgard. As a reward they were held in high regards with the royalties, and often paid visits to the palace. They were invited to all the balls and banquets that were held, and of course they accepted each and every invitation. This made them very popular among the other nobles, as well as the targets for the jealousy of many. But this year would be different.

King Odin and his wife Queen Frigga thought that it had been a long time since they visited their good friends' estate, and instead of asking them to make the long journey to Asgard, they would go to them. And who were mere noble citizens to deny the wishes of the All Father?

So they set out on a journey with their two sons, Princes Thor and Loki, to call on their former shield brother and his wife. It would take them tree days to get there by horse, and then they would spend two weeks in the Lord and Lady's company.

The young boys did not know what to expect. They had only met these people briefly at a party or two and were not very entertained by them. Especially Loki. In truth, he found them utterly boring. Thadicus would not stop speaking of former battles, as if if he gloated enough he could relive his youth. His wife was not much better. It seemed she could do nothing but gossip and backstab all day long, and she wore dresses that were not flattering for a woman of her age and unhealthy thinness. In short, they were not nice people, and he would go to great lengths to avoid spending time with them.

The first evening was almost tortuous. While the hosts were engaged in conversation with their parents, their sons were practically ignored. That is until Odin brought up the subject of Thor's training to become a warrior. Loki went through the same training, but of course he was never mentioned. He sat there listening to the people around him talking and laughing at his big brother's anecdotes, and wondering whether life could get any more tedious.

Gracefully he stood, silently excusing himself form the table, but as usual no-one battered an eye in his direction. He left the dining hall without word. He doubted anyone would notice his absent anyway. They never did.

He decided to take a walk through the garden. After all, it was a lovely night and some fresh air would do him good. The stars were bright as usual on the skies above. He wondered if they looked the same from some other world as they did from Asgard. One day he would find out. He had never traveled with the Bifrost. When he asked about it to those who had they said that the first few times were nauseating, but soon you got used to it.

Thadicus' garden was indeed remarkably tasteful, and he was thankful it did not reflect upon the personality of its owner.

It was quite large. There were multiple sorts of flowers spread out in a disoriented way, but somehow it fitted when it came to the big picture. The fences were high, but you could barely see them from being covered in large bushes. On the edge of the grounds he saw what appeared to be a labyrinth, and in the middle of the garden was a large fountain. On top of it was a statue of a mermaid pouring water from a tankard.

He did feel a bit better, but something was bothering him in the back of his mind. It always was. He always felt as though he was wearing a second layer of skin, which resulted in him always being slightly uncomfortable. He felt itchy and squeamish. Especially on hot days he would get the impulse to rip it off, and that was a very morbid thought even for him.

Rounding the corner to the back of the large house he was met with a most peculiar sight. The wall was covered in vines, and on the vine there was a girl. She was obviously attempting to climb down, but it was not going well. Her dress was getting caught up in the plant and the branch she was standing on looked as if it might snap at any minute. She was dressed in servants grabs, but even from this angle he could see that she carried herself in a way only a noble young lady would. He slowly approached her in an attempt not to startle her. As highly amusing as the sight was, he did not want her death on his conscious, if he had any.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing?"

She almost jumped out of fright, but was clinging to the vine for dear life. He had to admit he was impressed. She turned around to yell at him, but in her position she could not quite see him unless she leaned out from the wall, and she would not risk that.

"Look, this is not as easy as it seems, so could you just give me a minute?" she huffed.

He nodded in replay, but realized she could not see him. He didn't mind a bit of attitude, in fact he rather liked it. Normally no-one would stand up to him in fear of his royal status. Perhaps she only did so because she did not yet know who he was.

She gave a few more attempts to continue her climb, but it was useless. Lest she wanted to fall, she would have to go back up again and find another better way out.

Loki smirked. "Have you admitted defeat yet?"

"No, I shall never surrender, and especially not to a stupid plant!" Both of them had to genuinely laugh at her situation. It was a long time ago either of them had done that.

While they were having their fun, the branch decided to do exactly what Loki had predicted: it snapped in half right under her feet. For a few fearful seconds she thought she would hit the ground below and prepared herself for the impact, but it never came.

Opening her eyes she found herself gazing into a pair as impossibly green as hers were blue. When she looked down she saw that his arms were wrapped around her. He had caught her right before the fall ended, and she realized that besides being both fast and strong he had excellent reflexes. Taking a second look at his face she also saw that he was very handsome, beautiful even, and she felt a tingling up her spine that she had never felt before.

This also gave him the opportunity to look more closely at her. She had curly, almost frizzy hair, and it was so light blonde it was close to white, as opposed to his that was the colour of raven feathers. Her eyes were bright blue and sparkled like the stars. Her complexion was as pale as his and her skin was very cold, but also soft and delicate as the finest silk. He had the sudden urge to touch her cheek, but stopped his train of thoughts. She was just a strange girl that he had met only minutes ago. And yet, there was something about her that seemed to draw him in like a fish on a hook.

He shook himself inwardly and carefully set her down on the ground. It felt like being released from a powerful spell, but not in a good way. It was more like he assumed he would feel if he dropped something of unimaginably valuable off a cliff. He noticed that her hands lingered a second on him before letting go. Dena felt unusually warm in his arms and mourned the loss of contact between them.

Standing beside her he could now see that she was very tall for a girl her age-he assumed she was the same age as him. In fact, they were the exact same height and their eyes were at the same level. He didn't know if that made her look tall or him look short. He hoped for the former. He had always been taller than the children in his environment, and to meet someone who matched him in that area was a bit disturbing. At the same time it was intriguing. It meant he wouldn't have to bend down to kiss... He immediately stopped thinking. Where had that come from?!

Luckily he was brought from the argument he was currently having with his own brain by the soft sound of her voice.

"Thank you very much, Sir. That was very kind of you. I imagine it would have been rather painful had I hit the ground."

Suddenly his throat tightened up and his tongue felt dry as sand, but he forced himself to speak.

"There is no need to thank me. Anyone would have done as I did. No sane person would want the blood of such a beautiful young woman on their hands."

She couldn't help but to blush. No-one had ever called her beautiful before. But she quickly returned to her cold self.

"Well, I must be off now."

She turned around to walk away, but before she could his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. For some reason he did not want her to go. When his skin touched hers it sent a stirring feeling to the bottom of his stomach.

She looked startled for a moment, but did not pull her hand away. She looked at him expectantly, silently asking him to give her a reason to stay.

"I just saved your life. I believe the least you can do is tell me your name" He did not know why he asked her this. Perhaps he just wanted to call her something else besides 'The Girl'.

She hesitated. You aren't supposed to tell your name to strangers. Nobody had told her so, but she had read it. But this young man seemed trustworthy enough, and if he meant her any harm she knew she would have no problem defending herself. She decided that it was safe to tell him.

She straightened her back and kept her head high, getting a posture that resembled that of a queen.

"I am Denna, and I am the young mistress of this house. Do not expect me to act as a servant just because I am dressed like one."

She did not make the slightest effort to curtsy or bow, which was a custom that people did, even if one of them was not a royal. It was common courtesy, but she did no such thing. Almost as if she expected herself to have a higher status and be better than him, even though she did not know who he was and had only just met him. There was something extremely arrogant about her, and he liked it.

He was slightly taken back by her harsh words. "But of course not! I am simply surprised that a lady such as yourself would wear such horrid clothing instead of something more suiting to your status."

She smirked at him, his answer pleasing her. "Well you try climbing out the window in a dress consisting of eight layers and a corset."

They both laughed at this. He had to admit she had a sense of humour. He believed he could enjoy her company.

"And you Sir, what is your name? I gave you mine, now it seems only fitting you return the favour."

It seemed fair enough. "I am Loki," he said, "Son of Odin."

She gasped and immediately went down on her knees. Her quick change from proud to submissive took him by surprise.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but I did not recognise you. I hope I have not offended you in any way." She sounded truly regretful.

He bent down to her level do help her stand up, but she kept her eyes on the ground. "There is nothing to forgive. You have done nothing wrong."

"I may not be the most educated person in Asgard, but I do know how to treat royalty. Please tell me if there is any way in which I can make it up to you." She felt ashamed. She was in the presence of a prince and she hadn't even known it! Denna did not hold people in general in high regards, but this young man was one of the most powerful people in the realm and he had saved her life! He deserved all the credit and admiration he could get.

He thought about it for a moment. He could take advantage of this in any way he wanted and she would obviously agree to it. For a moment he thought of seeing how far he could go, but decided against it. She was just a girl, and he didn't want her to give in to him because he told her to. He settled for something a bit more innocent.

"Why don't you show me around the garden?" She was surprised by the simplicity of his request. "I have walk around it for a bit, but it seems more fitting to have a resident of the house to guide me."

She did not hesitate for a second. "As you wish." She gestured for him to walk with her. Denna was unsure whether to walk ahead or behind him, but he decided for her when he offered her his arm, which she nervously took. She could tell that Loki had been well raised, and acted the perfect gentleman.

As they walked through the large garden she was only half-heartedly telling him about it. Most of her time was spent in her head. Most people would get suspicious if someone random person would tell them that they were a royalty of Asgard, but there was no doubt in her mind of who he was. She could tell by the way he carried himself. And also she had heard some of the servants whispering of the arrival of the king and queen and their two sons. Since she was usually the youngest person in the house, she could only assume he was one of them.

Loki was also lost in thought. All the time his parents had talked of Thadicus and Serah they had never mentioned a daughter. Especially a beautiful one. Why was that? Why would anyone want to hide this lovely creature? He decided to ask her.

"How come I have never heard of your existence, Lady Denna? I have met your parents before, yet there has never been talk of a daughter." The question clearly hit a nerve, as her face became angry.

She gave it some thought before answering. "We are not very close to each other in this family, Your Highness, and if you don't mind I would like to leave it at that. At least until we know each other better, unless you order me to tell you of course."

She had become tense while she spoke and her grip on his arm had tightened.

"I have made you uncomfortable. Please forgive my intrusion of your privacy. I would never force you to speak of things you clearly do not wish to". She nodded her thanks. He decided to change the subject. "You have a very beautiful name. One I hear very rarely among other Asgardian women. Tell me, who thought to give it to you?"

She was grateful that he did not linger on the subject of her family matters. She almost laughed when he said she was an Asgardian woman. "I gave it to myself." He looked at her questioningly.

"Surely you jest," he chuckled.

She shook her head. "It brings us back to the topic of my parents. They were not very present when I was growing up. In fact, they did not even take the time to pick a name for me. I was anonymous for several years, until I was old enough to read. That is when I saw the name in a book somewhere and decided that that is what I wished to call myself. And before you ask, the answer is no. No-one ever addressed me in any way, not even the servants, except when they told me what I was not allowed to do. I was raised in silence and in malice, and it is a wonder that I know how to speak at all."

He was astonished by this revelation. At first he found it hard to imagine such a childhood, but then he remembered his own.

"In some ways I believe I can relate, my lady."

She highly doubted that. "Really? Do tell, my lord," she humoured him.

While they walked they both looked straight ahead, as if they were afraid of what they would find in each other's eyes. A certain warmth that they both had been deprived of for so long and were not quite ready to face yet. For now they would remain cold, as it was what they were comfortable with, and they both understood to respect that this is what they needed.

He sighted. "Granted I do not know what it means to grow up never speaking to anyone, but I do know what it means to be lonely." Oh, how well he knew that. "I am the second child in my family, and those are never held in high regards, especially in comparison to the first one."

She interrupted him with a small laugh. "Forgive me, but I do not believe seeking attention counts as the same thing as spending your childhood in solitude."

He turned his head and gave her a sharp look. "Do not mock me, you silly girl," he snapped. "Remember your place. I am still a prince and you would do well to treat me as such!"

She slightly trembled from his scolding. "Of course, Your Majesty. I beg your forgiveness. It will not happen again, of that you have my word." How could she have been so utterly stupid? Just because he had shown a bit of kindness did not mean she could speak to him as an equal. He was of higher rank after all. To insult royalty was to sign your own death warrant. Although she thought he was a bit over sensitive she did not voice her opinion.

He seemed satisfied enough with her response. They had stopped walking when he became upset but her grip on his arm remained.

"Please continue your story. I promise not to interrupt, my lord," she practically begged. She did want to hear it, if only to hear his pleasant, silky voice.

Calling him titles seemed to stroke his ego enough to get him back into a civil mood. They proceeded with their slow walk and he picked up where he'd left off.

"The only one, as you so delicately put it, who is attention seeking in my family is my brother. And, being the golden child of Asgard, of course he gets it. I have to settle for the scraps of what he leaves behind, which was not much. I always come in second place with our parents, him being their priority. He is the future king after all." There was a certain bitterness to his tone as he said this. "There are some people who claim to be my friends, but are only around me because they follow Thor like ducklings after their mother. As soon as I turn my back I can hear them laughing at me. I do not get the same respect from the people or even the servants as he does. Instead I have to use fear to get them to do anything." He gave her a mischievous smile. "Not that I mind that. In fact it is almost better. I do so enjoy watching them squirm."

There was a slight pause as he thought back to a particularly pleasant memory of when he scolded a servant girl for dropping a tea tray. He had not cared for the tea, he simply like the fact that by raising his voice he could make her cry within seconds. Denna took the silence as a sign that she was allowed to speak.

"Sometimes it is better to be feared than loved, my lord. I too often have to use force to get anything done with these incompetent servants."

It might have sounded as if she was trying to put herself in a better light with him, but Loki could see that was not the case. She was being sincere.

"You are quite right," he answered. But sometimes he wished someone would look upon him with admiration. It was a silly thought and he always repressed it as soon as it popped into his head.

"However," he pressed on, "Even if our lives had been different, I would not have hesitated to trade with you."

This surprised her greatly. She could not imagine anyone would want to live her life voluntarily, least of all this prince.

He explained. "I believe it would have been better to grow up and not know what it was like to have company, than to witness friendship and love every day but be unable to have it. I would rather have grown up in oblivion than know what I'm being deprived of." His tone became sad, and she took great pity on him.

What he said made sense. Her loneliness had made her grow a wall around her heart, but she had never suffered from it. She didn't know what it was like to have someone who cared for her and that had made her cold. In some ways that was better than having happiness just within your reach but never being able to grab it. She did not think he was over sensitive anymore.

"I understand, my prince," she said. "If it makes you feel any better, know that I am glad to have heard your story. I feel very honoured that you decided to share it with me."

He smiled. "That does make me glad. I believe this time we have spent together is the longest I have spoken to anyone in quite a while. You have my gratitude for listening." He was being sincere. Having her listen to him made Loki feel respected. She had taken in his story and instead of mocking him she was supporting him and his point of view.

Without realizing it they had made a whole lap around the large garden. From the position of the moon they could tell it was well into the night and everyone was most likely asleep by now. Everyone but them. It made Loki a bit sad that no-one had even thought to look for him after he left, but the fact that Denna was still with him and enjoying his company made him feel better. They now stood underneath her bedroom window where they had met only a few hours ago.

"I suppose I should let you get some sleep now. I'm sorry for keeping you up so late, but I lost track of time."

He shook his head. "Do not be ridiculous, my lady. It was I who kept you up."

"I did not mind in the slightest," she replied honestly. "I am more often than not up at night anyway. And I do believe this has been my most pleasant one so far."

Loki could not tell if she was flirting with him or only being polite. In any case he felt his face getting hotter and he became tongue tied.

_Well done_, he thought sarcastically to himself. _You are Silvertongue and yet you cannot say one word in response._ _What is wrong with you?! Speak up damn it!_ Yet no sound came from his mouth, as he was enchanted by how the stars showed their reflection in her sky blue eyes.

"Well, in any case," she interrupted his thoughts, "I really must be getting inside." She curtseyed and turned around.

Before she could walk away from him his body woke up and once again he reached for her hand. Letting his impulses take charge he brought it up to his mouth and lightly pressed his lips on it, like a true gentleman would.

Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat. Never had she felt another person's lips on her skin. It was not unpleasant at all. She did everything in her power not to become red as a tomato, but only half-heartedly succeeded. Loki saw this, to his great amusement. He had never had that effect on anyone before, and it made his heart flutter to think that a creature as lovely as this one could be blushing over something he had done. Her cold skin grew warmer and he liked that he was the cause of it.

"Will I see you again?" He truly wanted to. She had made him smile after only just meeting her, when his so called friends could not do that after several years of acquaintance. Her mere presence made him happy, and he imagined she felt the same way.

"If you wish it," was her immediate answer. In truth nothing would make her happier, but she gave him the authority to make that decision. He was a prince after all.

"Meet me tomorrow night, right here. I'll be waiting for you." It's not like he would be missed anyway, and he already preferred her company over that of his family.

She nodded at him and went to get back in her bedroom. She saw the still broken vine, and just as she brought up her hand to fix it, it healed itself, or so she thought.

Behind her Loki stood with his hand up, having used his own magic to fix it. It was now much stronger and would hold for three times her weight. It would not break very soon. In a way that made him sad, for it meant he would not have to catch her again, since she would not fall.

She looked at him in utter awe.

"You can do magic!" she exclaimed. He merely nodded with a smug facial expression. He liked that he could impress her, even with a simple trick as that. "You will have to show me more tomorrow. For now I bit you a good night, my prince." She gave him another curtsy before climbing up the plant and into the house.

"Before you go, I really must ask," he began. She turned her head to be able to see his green eyes. "Isn't there a simpler way for you to get in and out of the house?"

"Of course there is," she answered, "but they're not nearly as fun." She winked at him.

Now it was his turn to blush.

Sending a final smile his way she jumped in through the window and disappeared from his sight.

"Good night...Denna," he whispered into the night. It felt good so say her name without any formalities.

The air around him seemed lighter somehow, and he was in a much better mood than he had been before. After lingering by her window for a few minutes he decided to head back inside to his room. Perhaps these next two weeks wouldn't be so bad after all. He was already looking forward to the next evening, and with the thought of a fair face with blue eyes and curly, light blonde hair he fell into a blissful sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

The next day Denna couldn't wait for night time to arrive. She was incredibly excited to once again see the boy who had been the first person to ever show her real kindness, who could do magic like herself and who, on top of it all, was a prince!

She spent a long time pacing her room during the day. Perhaps she could sneak out already and go to the parts of the house that was forbidden for her? But she didn't dare to. Not even for him. It wasn't that she was frightened of what she would find there. It was just rooms like any other part of the huge mansion. What made her insecure was the fact that all her life she had been told to stay away from there- that she wasn't wanted and that people would judge her if they saw her. She was learning to do thing her own way and not listen to what others had to say, but she found that it was hard to ignore something that had been yelled at her for her entire life.

Denna didn't want to risk running in to her parents. To be honest, she was frightened of them. Even with her magic they still had the psychological power over her to make her feel very insecure. They were the ones who'd locked her up for her whole life and they were the ones who ignored her when they should have been the people who loved her the most. She could never forgive them for that and she was not ready for a confrontation. So she decided to stay put.

To make time pass Denna spent time trying to figure out what to wear. She couldn't wear the garb of a servant, like she usually did to make it easier for herself. She dived into her closet to find something appropriate, but nothing seemed to do. Eventually she simply decided to make an entirely new dress. She stood in front of her mirror and concentrated.

Slowly a blue mist began traveling upwards from her feet to the top of her head. When the mist cleared she was wearing a sleeveless, light purple dress with straps that tied around her neck and a shapeless, flowing skirt. A silver belt hung around her waist and her feet were dressed in simple sandals. She put on a few bracelets from her dresser so to not make her arms look too naked. The neckline showed off the womanly shape of her breasts that she had acquired over the years and the skirt was slightly see-though, only just hinting at the silhouette of her long legs.

She stood in front of her large mirror and spun around to see the finished result. Yes, this would most definitely please the young prince. Unlike yesterday, she looked every bit a lady. Except for her hair. No matter what she did her hair would never obey. The curls stood in every direction and she hated it with a passion. She sighted, deciding to leave it as it were since there was nothing she could do about it anyway.

The sun had finally set and she made her way out the door and towards the door she had found one night that lead straight out to the gardens. It was well hidden, so no one would see her use it. Not that it mattered anyway if somebody did. Only she and the servants lived in this part if the house and they were now too fearful of her to do anything about it.

She only had to wait for a few minutes beneath her window before she heard footsteps coming around the corner. The prince was wearing another green attire, similar to what he had been wearing the day before. He was taking long, hurried steps, but slowed down when he saw that she was already there. Soon he stood not two feet away from her and she gave a slight bow of her head.

"I must say I'm a bit disappointed to see you already on the ground. I had so much been looking forward to catching you once again."

Denna actually giggled at his words, which was something she never did. It was much too childish in her opinion, but here she was doing it anyway.

"I took your advice," she said. "I took the easier way out of the house tonight. I couldn't risk ruining my dress on the thorns."

His eyes travelled up and down the length of her body, giving the illusion that he was admiring her dress, when clearly he was looking at more than that.

"Yes, that would have been a shame," he stated. There was a pause for a few seconds. Loki's eyes were still on her body. She felt slightly exposed, but it was overlapped by smugness from the fact that he obviously liked what he saw. She had dressed up for him after all- she wanted him to see her. They had only met once before, yet the young prince had chosen to spend another night in her company, and of this she was very proud.

"I do believe there was talk of magic last night, and something about showing you more of it." Loki wanted to show her every little thing he could do with his magic abilities. He'd liked the way her pretty eyes lit up when she saw what he did the previous night. It made him feel like learning everything there was to know about magic, if only to impress her further.

She nodded and gestured for him to follow her. "I believe it is better if we seek out someplace more private, my lord. I don't think my parents are very fond of magic, and if they hear that somebody had been practising it on their grounds, even a prince…"

"I understand fully. My father is not very keen on magic either, I'm afraid. Please, lead the way, lady Denna."

Once again she gripped his arm and led him through the garden. When they reached the fence Denna pushed part of the bushes out of the way to reveal an opening. They went through and kept walking arm in arm until they reached her special hill in the middle of the forest.

"This is where I go most nights. As far as I know I am the only one who ever comes here. I have spent more time than I care to admit lying here, just gazing at the stars." Denna had been very insecure about showing him this place. It had been her special place for a very long time, and to share it with someone else had never been an option, because there had never been anyone else round to share it with. She wasn't sure what Loki would think of it. To her relief he gave her a soft smile.

"I feel very honoured that you have brought me here, my lady. It is obvious this place is very special to you." He truly was honoured and he hoped that his expression could tell her that more than his words could.

She responded with a shy smile. Denna was glad that he approved of it.

"I chose to lead you here because of the solitude it provides us," she said to him. "Here we can practise our magic without being disturbed or worry that someone might catch us."

He took in the environment around them. "Yes, it does seem like the ultimate- wait, "our magic"? What do you mean?" He looked confused. His perfectly shaped eyebrows met when he gazed at her. She found the wrinkle it made above his nose adorable.

"Perhaps I should have told you last night." She took a few steps backward and closed her eyes. She lifted her hand up in the air and from them came the same mist that had appeared when she made her dress. The blue mist travelled upwards and clustered until it looked more like a rounded cloud above them. At the command she made in her head, the cloud burst into what looked like hundreds of tiny stars. It rained over them like a shower of silvery dust. Loki held out his hand to try and catch some of it, but it dissolved as soon as it touched his skin. He looked astonished at what had just transpired.

"This spell is quite useless to be honest, but it is still fun to do it every now and then, if only for the prettiness of it."

Loki didn't know how to answer her. He was in awe over the fact that she could do magic at all. He had only met very few other people who could and they were all very much older men- no one was even close to his own age, except for this young girl.

"My lord, is everything alright?" He had been gawking at her for a while now, and Denna was getting worried.

He shook his head to come back to the present. "I am sorry, my lady. I became lost in my own thoughts. I am simply fascinated over the fact that I have met many people in my life, but none of them have managed to surprise me the way you just did."

"Is it so strange a thought that I would practise magic, my prince?"

"Most of the people I've met who have that ability have been smelly old men with one foot in the grave and a beard long enough to touch the floor. I find it astonishing that a beautiful young woman such as yourself would be interested in a subject that is almost considered extinct."

Once again she blushed when he called her beautiful. "Growing up books were my only friends. I was lucky enough to come across books on magic. I've found that learning it has been very helpful over the years."

Once more he had to raise his eyebrow slightly. "I do believe we have more in common than I first thought, lady Denna."

His voice sounded smooth like silk when he said her name. Denna found herself weak in the knees and had to take deep breaths to keep her thoughts on track. What was wrong with her? She felt dizzy and she was warm all over, her cheeks were reddening and though she never wanted to look away from his green eyes, she still had to struggle to keep them there. These were feeling that she had only read about in her books, but never hoped to experience them herself. It felt like… weakness.

All her life she had built a wall around her heart, making sure nothing and no one could penetrate it. But now, here was this boy, barely a man, and he had made her come closer to opening up than she ever had been, and that was only after meeting him twice! The notion scared her more than anything had before, but at the same time Denna was excited. This was new and terrifying, but in a good way.

They continued to show each other what they could do with their magic skills for a long while. They found that they were very much equal, but there was much that one could teach the other. It was well in to the night when they realized how late it was and how quickly the time had passed, much to the disappointment of them both. They made their way back to the mansion, and soon they stood outside of the door that Denna had used to sneak out through instead of the window.

They stood in a few seconds of silence, merely gazing at each other with looks of curiosity and admiration. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but they both knew that they had to part ways, though both were slightly reluctant to admit to themselves that they wanted to stay. Both had a hard time putting their true feelings into words, but it seemed that between them they could speak with looks alone.

"Once again I've had a wonderful night thanks to you, my lady," he said, unconsciously moving closer to her.

"As did I, sire, but I fear I've kept you up for too long. The sun is about to come up soon, and you will no doubt be extremely tired in the morning." She wasn't sure why she was concerned about that. Normally Denna never cared for the wellbeing of other people.

"It will be worth it. Just the memory of our lovely time together will be enough to get me through the day." Loki saw that she was blushing at his words. He found himself loving to make her blush, which he had done all night. All it took was a well-directed compliment or for him to stand a bit too close to her and her cheeks would immediately warm up.

He took her hand in his and placed his lips upon it like he had the previous night, but this time the kiss lasted longer. Her skin as cold even though it was a warm night out, but he didn't mind it. When he let go of her he saw that her eyes were widened and she seemed to be in a daze, like he had taken her by great surprise.

"If you allow it, I would very much like to see you again tomorrow night. If that is alright with you?" he inquired.

"But of course," she answered with a slight smile. "It would not seem right to deny the prince of Asgard anything, Lord Loki."

"You are always allowed to say no, my lady. But I'm glad that you are not, for I am very much looking forward to more nights like this one."

On the way back to their rooms neither of them could stop smiling, nor could they stop thinking about each other. For the first time ever, perhaps they had both found a true friend.


End file.
